Asst. Professor in Geography, Balwant College, Vita, Maharashtra, India
Maharashtra, one of India's foremost states, is geographically divided into six regions: Konkan (Mumbai), North Maharashtra (Nashik), West Maharashtra (Pune), Vidarbha (Amravati and Nagpur) and Marathwada (Aurangabad). The climate in Marathwada is predominantly semi-arid, characterized by hot summers and mild winters. The Godavari River serves as the primary water source, flowing through the division's landscape, which is largely defined by valleys, plateaus and hills. A significant challenge facing Marathwada is drought and water scarcity. The average annual rainfall in drought-prone areas of the region is 882 mm. Rainfall data from 1990 to 2023 was analysed. The average annual rainfall of Marathwada division was calculated using the mean, standard deviation (SD), and coefficient of variation (CV) and the results are presented in a choropleth map.
Maharashtra, a state in western India, showcases remarkable geographical and climatic diversity. From the inland Marathwada region to the coastal Konkan, its varied landscape contributes to a complex and fluctuating climate. The semi-arid region of Marathwada in Maharashtra depends heavily on the southwest monsoon, which delivers rainfall primarily from June to September. However, the monsoon's highly variable nature, both annually and geographically, creates obstacles for agriculture, water resource management and ensuring food security. According to IMD (India Meteorological Department) average annual rainfall in Marathwada is 882mm Marathwada comes under rain shadow area due to presence of western Ghats most of rainfall drains in the Konkan coastal plain (windward) and when it comes to Marathwada region it doesn’t contain enough water vapour in the atmosphere. As a result, higher the mountains larger is the ‘rain shadow zone’.
Definition and Objectives: - Seasonal rainfall variability refers to the fluctuations in rainfall patterns from year to year, or over shorter periods, such as within a season or between seasons. The primary purpose of this study is to achieve the following specific objectives.
1. To study the seasonal annual rainfall of Marathwada Division during the year 1990 to 2023.
2. To Analyse seasonal rainfall variability in Marathwada division.
Study Area: - Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) serves as the primary divisional headquarter for the Marathwada region. This region, located between 17.5°N and 20.5°N latitude and 74.5°E and 77.5°E longitude, encompasses 64,590 square kilometres, representing 21% of Maharashtra's total area. Marathwada is composed of eight districts: Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), Beed, Hingoli, Jalna, Latur, Nanded, Dharashiv (Osmanabad) and Parbhani. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) identifies Marathwada as meteorological division number 25.
Marathwada is indeed assigned the number 25 by IMD
Siddhant Kulkarni*, Amol Pawar, To Study Seasonal Rainfall Variability in Marathwada Division of Maharashtra, Int. J. Sci. R. Tech., 2026, 3 (1), 364-368. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18438721
10.5281/zenodo.18438721
